Pipe holder for well pipes



April 19, 1932. v. ASKEW PIPE HOLDER FOR WELL PIPES Filed June 29, 19513 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor 7. Ja/ivw v flltorney V. ASKEW April 19, 1932.

PIPE HOLDER FOR WELL PIPES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1931-Inventor April 19, 1932. v, s w 1,854,573

PIPE HOLDER FOR WELL PIPES Filed June 29, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 flllomeyI Patented Apr. 19, 1932 .AENT. OFFICE v. ASKEW', or DEL R10, TEXAS PIPEHOLDER FOR WELL PIPES Application filed. June 2% This invention relatesto a device for facilitating the lowering and pulling of pipes in wellsand the like, the general object of this invention being to provide aframe having a pair of gripping members at the lower part thereofbetween which a pipe passes, and a number of toothed jaws at its upperend for gripping the pipe with hand operated means for moving the upperjaws to rem lease position and at the same time slightly spreading apartthe lower gripping means.

Another object of the invention is to provide spring means for normallyholding the parts in a position with the jaws and grip- =16 ping meansengaging a pipe to hold the same against movement.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, ref erence will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 2.

Figure A is a transverse sectional view looking toward the lower end ofthe device.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the upper end corners ofthe device showing the gripping generally.

Figure 6 is a side view of the lower part of the device.

Figure 7 is a View of one of the pivoted members.

Figure 8 is a view showing the upper end of one of the frame rods, abracket, and a nut for holding the bracket on the bar, the parts beingseparated. 7 p In these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the head partof the device which is formed with a flange 1 and with a circularcentrally arranged opening2. The walls of this open ing are formed withT-shaped slots 3 which 1931. Serial No. 547,732.

slope downwardly and inwardly toward the lower end of the head part.These slots re; ceive the toothed jaw members 3 which are tapered sothat the jaw members slide up wardly to release the pipe and as-the jawmembers move downwardly, they move toward each other so as to grip apipe passing through the hole 2. c.

Four rods 5 have their upper ends passing through holes in the flange 1with upper and '60 lower nuts 6 on said rods for holding them to theflange 1. These rods 5 have their lower ends threaded in a verticallyarranged plate '7 having its ends rolled to receive a pair of the rodsand a similar platec'? has its ends rolled to receive the lower end ofthe other pair of rods as clearly shown in Figure 4-. The upper andlower cross pieces 8 connect the rods together and these cross piecesand the plates 7 and 7 form a rectangular frame which is held in placeby the upper and lower nuts 9 on each rod. Each of the plates 7 and 7 isformed with an opening '10 at its center which passes through the upperedge of the plate anda pair of clamping plates 11 having their endspassing through the openings 10, the central portions of the plates 11being bowed outwardly as shown'at- 11 to form clamping bars.

A bolt 12 passes through holesat each end of the pair of plates 11. anda spring 13 is placed on each bolt 12 between the plates and tends tomove the plates 11 apart. A yoke 14 carries each bolt 12 and the lowerend of the rod 15 passes through the bight of each yoke 14: and issecured thereto by a nut 16. These rods 15 pass through enlarged holes17 in the flange 1 of the upper member 1 and an L-shaped arm 18 isfastened to the upper end of each rod 15 by a nut 19. A hand lever 96 20is pivoted to a bracket 21 on the member 1 and has its yoke end 22having its extremity in hook shape as shown at 23, these hook portionspassing through slots 24: in the members 18. I

Springs 25 arearranged on each of the rods 15 and tend to hold the partsin lowered position. Cross rods 26 have their lower ends connected withthe yokes 14 and the upper end of each cross-rod is connected to thelower end of a jaw 4 so that the upward movement of the yokes will beimparted to the jaws 4. A pair of oppositely arranged plate like members27 is pivoted to each plate 7, 7, one on the outer face of the plate andthe other in the inner face and the inner end of each of these membersis forked with one prong longer than the other and the bight wall having two angles as shown at 28 in Figure 7. The prongs of these forksstraddle the outer ends of the plates 11 as shown in Figure l.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the spring 25 normally holds theparts in lowered position with the jaws 4 in lowered position and in aposition to grip a pipe passing through the device and the grippingplates 11 are also in a position to grip the pipe passed through thedevice. Pressing downwardly on the lever 20, its yoke 22 will raise themembers 18 and thus the rods 15 will be raised against the action of thesprings 25, this upward movement of the rods 15 will raise the yokes 14and the bolts 12 and thus the plates 11 will be raised and as saidplates pass upwardly in the openings 10 in the plates 7 7 they willswing the pivoted members 27 upwardly and during this movement thesprings 13 will move the plates 11 apart so that both sets of grippingmeans are in' released position and the pipe can be moved upwardly anddownwardly. As soon as it is desired to stop the movement of the pipe tohold the same, the handle 20 is re leased and the spring 25 will returnthe parts to normal position so that the jaws will grip the pipe and thegripping plates 11 will also grip the pipe.

The device operates in the following manner As the pipe is being raisedfrom the well, the cuifs or joints thereon will strike clamps 11 andopen the same for the passage of the cuffs or joints automatically. Thesame operation applies to the upper jaws for as the cuff strikes thelower ends of the jaws it forces them up and apart to permit the passageof the cuff or joint.

In the upward movement of the pipe the device is automatically releasedat all times. Only when the pipe is being lowered must the device beoperated with lever 20. Thus when lever is depressed, passage of thecuffs or joints on the downward movement of the pipe is permitted.

The purpose of the fork members 27 is to force the ends of clamps 11into openings 10, thus tightening the clamps on the pipe to a degreethat securely sets upper jaws to pipe and at the same time assists inholding the ipe. p The general working idea of the device is that it iseither inserted in the mouth of the well and bolted to the concretebase, or else it is used on top of the concrete base in a frame made forit and bolted to base. The pipe being pulled with block and tackle is,therefore, handled automatically on the upward movement, and the pipebeing handled with block and tackle on the downward movement, the deviceis held open with lever to permit free passage of pipe and joints. Butin case of accident or the necessity of stopping pipe, the lever isreleased and stops pipe immediately, thus eliminating any chances ofdropping the pipe and losing the well entirely.

The lower frame composed of two side pieces'and four bars is preferablymade of one solid piece with holes in each corner to fasten to rods onhead piece. The rods 26 are preferably made adjustable as to theirlengths.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a head part, toothed jawsslidably arranged in the head part and moving to release position whenmoved upwardly, a frame, rods connecting the frame with the head, a pairof gripping plates movably arranged in the frame, carriers for saidplates, a hand lever pivotally connected with the head part, means forconnecting the hand lever with the carriers, whereby downward movementof the lever will raise the carriers to move the gripping platesupwardly and means connected with the carriers and with the jaws formoving the jaws upwardly as the carriers are moved upwardly.

2. A device of the class described comprising a head part having acentrally arranged hole therein and downwardly tapering slots in thewalls of said opening, toothed jaws carried by and slidably arranged inthe slots and moving away from each other when the jaws are movedupwardly, rods depending from the head part, a frame connected with thelower end of the rods, a pair of gripping plates movably arranged in theframe, springs moving thesame away from each other, a pair of yokes inwhich the ends of the plates are yieldably supported, rods connectedwith the yokes, a hand lever, means for connecting the same to the upperends of said rods whereby tilting movement of the lever will raise therods and the yoke together with the plates, spring means on, the rodsfor normally holding the parts in lowered postion, and rods connectedwith the yokes and with the upper jaws for moving the jaws upwardly asthe yokes are moved upwardly.

3. A device of the class described comprising a head part having acentrally arranged hole therein and downwardly tapering slots in thewalls of said hole, toothed jaws carried by and slidably arranged in theslots and moving away from each other when the jaws are moved upwardly,rods depending from the head part, a frame connected with the lower endof the rod, a pair of gripping plates movably arranged in the frame,springs moving the same away from each other, a pair of yokes in whichthe ends of the plates are yieldably supported, rods connected with theyokes, a hand lever, means for connecting the same to the upper ends ofsaid rods whereby tilting movement of the lever will raise the rods andthe yokes together with the plates, spring means on the rods fornormally holding the parts in lowered position, and rods connected withthe yokes and with the upper jaws for moving the jaws upwardly as theyokes are moved upwardly, and pivoted fork members carried by the framewith the ends of the plate fittin in the spaces between the prongs ofsaid for members.

at. A device of the class described-comprising a head part and acentrally arranged opening therein, and T-shaped grooves in the walls ofthe opening, said grooves sloping downwardly and inwardly, T-shapedgripping jaws slidably arranged in the grooves and having their rearedges beveled whereby when the jaws are moved upwardly they will moveaway from each other, a number of rods depending from the head, a frameconnected with the lower end of the rods, said frame having a pair ofoppositely arranged openings therein, a pair of gripping plates havingtheir ends projected through said opening, yokes connected with the saidends of the plates, spring means moving the plates away from each other,a rod connected with each yoke, and passing through the head part,springs on the rod for normally holding the parts in lowered position,slotted members connected to the upper ends of the rods, a

hand lever pivoted on the head part having their fork parts threadedthrough the slots, rods connecting the yokes with the upper jaw partsand fork members pivoted to the lower frame with the prongs straddlingthe ends of the gripping plate.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

V. ASKEW.

